Round Up: COVID-19 Resources For Outpatient And Private Practice Clinical Lactation Care (Updated July 2021)

Bolded updates below: Dr. Hope Lima’s free CERP training + new CDC guidelines reflecting impact of vaccination status.

As recommendations are rapidly coming out and changing as the COVID-19 pandemic develops, lactation consultants in private practice and outpatient settings need access to best practices and evidence-based recommendations. Disclaimer: Nothing in this blog post can be taken as medical, clinical, legal, or financial advice.

As with any medical situation facing the pregnant or postpartum family, our recommendations as clinicians need to be based in the standards set by recognized public health and professional organizations both in and outside the lactation world.

Keep reading for tons of free resources, including screening tools, supply lists, and more.

Guidelines for In-Person Lactation Care

The CDC issued “considerations for lactation services” that include specific guidance for in-person lactation care.

Here’s a summary for management of home visits:

• Screen for exposure and symptoms prior to the visit

• Require masks for everyone ages 2 and up where any household members are not vaccinated, or the household’s COVID-19 vaccination status is unknown

• Stay 6 feet away except when providing hands-on care

• Wear gloves and sanitize hands and surfaces thoroughly

• If anyone is potentially or actually positive for COVID-19, follow CDC guidelines for infection control

General recommendations for healthcare providers

This round up is for readers in English-speaking countries so you can find updated clinical guidelines from your governmental health organizations.

• World Health Organization (WHO): Information on coronaviruses (COVID-19)

• US: Center for Disease Control (CDC): Information for healthcare providers

• Canada: Government of Canada: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for health professionals

• United Kingdom: Interim guidance for primary care

• Australia: Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for health care and residential care workers

• National Institutes of Health (NIH): COVID-19

• US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Safety and Health Topics: COVID-19

Lactation-specific clinical recommendations

• PPE For Lactation Support Providers In the Community Setting

• MedPro Group COVID-19 Resource Center (MedPro is a provider of liability insurance which many US-based lactation and birth professionals carry through CM&F)

• ILCA: Resources for skilled lactation providers on COVID-19

• ILCA Statement on Breastfeeding and Lactation Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Lactation Education Resources: Resources for Lactation Supporters During COVID-19

• IABLE: Breastfeeding and the Coronavirus COVID-19

• Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine: ABM Statement Coronavirus

Free trainings

• Lessons from COVID-19 for Lactation Consultants (1 L-CERP) by Dr. Hope Lima, PhD, RDN, IBCLC. Includes discussions of the COVID-19 vaccines.

• USLCA Webinar: COVID-19: Best Practices for Lactation Consultants & Perinatal Educators

• GOLD: Caring for Our Community During COVID-19: How Perinatal/Lactation Workers Can Protect Themselves, Their Clients, and Their Business

Resources to share with families

• CDC: COVID-19 Vaccines While Pregnant or Breastfeeding

• CDC: Breastfeeding and expressing milk in workplaces

• Kellymom: COVID-19: Current Recommendations at a Glance

• Kellymom: COVID-19: Milk Banking and Milk Sharing

• Australian Breastfeeding Association: COVID-19

Resources for in-person visits

• Preparing for Post-COVID-19 Operations: Healthcare Practices

• Patient Advisory and Acknowledgment Forms

• List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2

Additional Resources

• Virtual Consult Best Practices For Lactation Consultants

• Lessons from COVID-19 for Lactation Consultants (0.5 L-CERPs + 0.5 R-CERPs)